Guest Post from "Smile As It Happens": " What to know: From Military to Civilian Life"

Emma is a military spouse who contacted me and offered to write a post with some of her military insight on some of the difficulties of, as well as myths concerning, making the transition from military life to civilian life, particularly in regard to finding and keeping employment. In Emma's words: "The article discusses the importance of helping our country’s service members find employment either during station changes, or once they have either finished their active service, or become disabled while serving and thus been forced to end active duty."

Emma currently seeking a career in life and career coaching and she has some really helpful tips on the matter of going from military back to civilian:

What to
Know: From Military to Civilian Life

Here are four myths that, if you buy into them, may kill your
confidence in finding a post-military career. I’m here to counter these myths
with truths that will make sure that you are as prepared as possible to be
successful in your post military transition.

Myth #1:
It is difficult to find non-military jobs after spending so many years in the
service.

Truth: As a veteran, there are many jobs that you are more than
qualified for. There are programs available that are designed to help you in
your job hunt. A group called 100,000
Jobs Mission works specifically to provide information on open positions
that former military will be well qualified for. This resource also provides
job outlook, qualifications needed and salary expectations.

Myth #2: Most
companies do not care about applicants.

Truth: While employers are definitely looking out for their own
interests, they do care about potential employees. Just as you are attempting
to make a good impression on your potential employer, the company similarly
desires to impress you and make applying for a job as easy as possible. In
order to streamline the application process many companies have started to
partner with services like JIBE, a mobile
recruiting company. These services allow you to upload your resume and various
job-related documents instantly from your smartphone or tablet.

Myth #3: There
are not any companies that are specifically looking to hire veterans.

Truth: Many companies are looking to hire former military
members. Companies that are run on-base such as military credit unions or
insurances are a great place to start looking. Additionally, several websites
annually list companies that specifically look to hire veterans. Among those
are GI Jobs and Military Friendly. Visiting these
sites regularly will keep you up-to-date with the latest job availability and
will help you in your quest for future employment.

Myth #4:
Job seekers do not need to promote themselves to prospective employers.

Truth: Even though veterans are highly sought after in the
civilian world, it is still very important that you, as the interviewee, sell
yourself. Mention any awards and promotions you have received and what you have
accomplished during your time in service. Remember, you are most likely one of
several people who want the same job, and making sure the potential employer
hears about all you accomplished is necessary to give yourself the best chance
at employment.

Emma is a
mid 20-something year old with a passion for life, love, fitness, and helping
others. She loves to be active and get involved in as many sport and
community activities as possible. Emma is currently studying to
become a Career & Life Coach, and loves to network with people from around
the world! Check out Emma’s blog at http://smileasithappens.blogspot.com/!

Thanks, Emma! Check out her blog for more tips and show her some love! I hope those that info is helpful to some of you! My husband is still active duty air force, but in the not-so-far future he will be making that ever-so-important transition and I bet some of these tips and truths will be helpful to us as well!

Stay tuned for my future guest post on Emma's blog! I'm working on a great summer-time recipe post for her and her readers! Coming soon!